The complete works of John Hunter, F.R.S (Volume 2).

  • John Hunter
Date:
1841
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The complete works of John Hunter, F.R.S (Volume 2). Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    In many of these cases we find that while the gums are ulcera- ting in one part, they are swelling and becoming spongy in another, and hanging loose upon the teeth; and this often takes place where there is no ulceration in any part. The treatment proper in this disease, where the gums become luxuriant from a kind of tumefaction, is generally to cut away all the redundant swellings of the gum. I have seen several instances where this has succeeded; but still I am inclined to think that this is not the best practice; for it is not that an adventitious substance is thus removed, as in the case of luxuriant granulations from a sore, but a part of the gum itself is destroyed, in like manner as a part enlarged by inflammation may be reduced by the knife to its natu- ral size; which would certainly be bad practice. I should suspect that the good arising from such practice is owing to the bleeding winch takes place, especially as I have found from experience that simply scarifying the gums has answered the same purpose. Where there are reasons for supposing it to arise from a peculiarity in the constitution, the treatment should be such as will remove this pe- culianty. ' If the constitution is scorbutic, it must be treated with a view to the original disease. If scrofulous, local treatment, by wounding the parts, may do harm; but sea-bathing, and washing the mouth thaffknow * SGaWater' are the most Powerful means of cure § 2. Callous Thickenings of the Gums. co^XT-r^rN?01 ^ °thf diseaS6S' abstra^ed from their ~z^ eoh and teethj which d°not wbo,,r b^° bleeS whih £n? Ved by,,,e k,,ife' but ol »l«vs. The s^eVeZT^TJ T^ Wh,ich SU,'Jec,s the Pa<=nt to the sea-water],